
20 men aged between 35 and 65 with a waist measurement of 100 cm (or more) and/or a body mass index above 28 took part in this joint project stage by the German Cancer Support organisation and Bayer 04.
The success of the whole group says volumes about the project: Some participants achieved large reductions in body weight. The change is not only evident on the scales or in the waist measurement but also in the improved lifestyle, increased fitness and healthy diet. "A big compliment to the trainers who carefully introduced the participants to sporting activities," said Meinolf Sprink looking back at the weekly sports sessions run by Christoph Binot, Kai Braun, Dirk Diekmann and Frank Linde.
The course is now over but the group will continue to meet. "FFIT has shown how a club can help build a sense of togetherness in such a great way amongst the fans taking part, which also leads to high personal achievements," said Sprink. The group will continue to meet in the future on a regular basis to play football and they will continue to enjoy the support of Bayer 04.
Other courses are planned both for overweight men and also, for the first time, for female Bayer 04 fans.

A special afternoon at the Bayer 04 Football Academy autumn camp: At the Liga 20 indoor football centre, in the shadow of the BayArena, two Werkself women’s team players led a training session. Loreen Bender and Selina Ostermeier not only offered the young players advice and support, but also got stuck in themselves.
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Once the final whistle was blown, it was time to take a deep breath. 2-0 down and a 5–2 win in the end. It was a nerve-wracking affair against FC Nürnberg in the second round of the 2026–27 DFB Pokal. Jonas Hofmann said – “We didn’t let our heads drop” – hitting the nail on the head. Indeed, it was clear the Werkself were not prepared to accept elimination from the DFB Pokal. So they went on to score. The Black and Reds made their presence felt with a goal just before half-time, followed by four more in the second half. Or, to put it another way: Edmond Tapsoba’s first Bayer 04 brace, a clinical penalty from Patrik Schick, yet another precision strike from Hofmann and a blistering volley from Lucas Vázquez. Each goal more beautiful than the last! After the match, head coach Carles Martínez praised his team’s commitment above all else and the fact that they never lost belief in themselves. The Werkself review.
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Werkself-TV shows the highlights of Bayer 04's 5-2 win against 1. FC Nürnberg in the second round of the DFB-Pokal 2026/27...
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Bayer 04 came from 2-0 down to beat Nürnberg 5-2 in the second round of the 2026/27 DFB Pokal on Wednesday night. Edmond Tapsoba’s double either side of half-time sparked the turnaround, before Patrik Schick, Jonas Hofmann and Lucas Vázquez ensured progress to the last 16 for the 2024 cup winners.
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